


VICTORS VILLAGE TOURS

by BellaGracie



Category: The Hunger Games
Genre: Comatose Peeta, Doctor Annie, Eventual HEA, Gen, Katniss and her mom get along, Tour Guide Effie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:06:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22652227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellaGracie/pseuds/BellaGracie
Summary: No one had foreseen the way it would go down after the Rebellion succeeded in destroying Snow and his evil minions.The Mockingjay faces one last challenge.If you want to cry, then this story's for you!Don't ask me to name Peeta's medical condition. I just wondered one day: What would Katniss's reaction be if Peeta was incapacitated? TOTALLY? Then I wrote this story to answer my own question. I was really interested in exploring Katniss's reactions to a tragedy greater than the Games.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 34
Kudos: 40





	1. EFFIE, TOUR GUIDE

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my saddest stories.
> 
> Comatose Peeta!

Katna is nine when her mother takes her and her older brother, Harry, 12, to Victors Village for the first time.

She remembers studying about it in school, and seeing documentaries about the Mockingjay.

Her mother explained that she was named after the girl with the bow and arrow, the one that was so brave she defied President Snow, and destroyed him forever. None of the documentaries say what happened after the Victory Parades.

The tour guide is an older woman with bright pink hair. She introduces herself simply as Effie. She balances on precariously high heels. Katna can't stop staring at the woman's hair. "It looks like cotton candy," she whispers to her brother, who frowns and pinches her arm, hard.

Effie opens the doors, one by one. "This is the LIE-BRAH-RY!" she almost sings. She runs her long, painted fingernails over a heavy desk. "MA-HO-GAH-NEE," she says, importantly.

It's a very big house, but it makes Katna sad.

After a tour of the Mockingjay's house, they go to the Mellark house. It is a mirror image of the first, but there have been some modifications to the kitchen.

"Peeta Mellark was a baker," the guide says. Her voice softens. A reflective look enters her eyes. "The refrigerator was made to order, shipped from the Capitol. He would spend hours baking."

They make a quick tour of the Mellark house, and are about to head over to Abernethy's when a tourist, a young woman, raises her hand. "Excuse me," says the young woman.

"Yes?" Effie says.

"What happened to the Mockingjay -- after?" the young woman asks.

A hush falls over the group. Everyone knows what "after" refers to.

"She's in Four now," Effie says, tightly.

"I know," the young woman says. "But, how is she? Is she all right? What happened to Mellark? Is he with her?"

"The Mockingjay is fine," Effie says. "Of course Mellark is with her. He's her husband."

Katna raises her hand, timidly.

Effie says, "Yes, sweetie?"

"Does the Mockingjay like living in Four?"

Effie says, "Well, her mother is there. Yes, she's very happy there."

The group falls silent. There are no more questions. Everyone's thinking about how sad it is, what happened to the baker. Five years after the war ended, after he and the Mockingjay were happy and married, something switched off in his brain. The Mockingjay found him lying on his back in the kitchen, staring at the ceiling unblinking. He never spoke again. Never smiled again. Never walked again.

Tears spring to Katna's eyes. She's not alone; she can hear a chorus of sniffles around her.

"Stop it!" Harry hisses at Katna.

She's terrified he'll pinch her again, but she can't help it. Katna's mother bends down and embraces her daughter. "Shh, dear, she's okay. The Mockingjay is okay," her mother says.

"But how can she be okay?" Katna sobs. "She doesn't even have any children!"

It's terrifying for Katna when she realizes her mother is crying, too.

"Mom?" Katna says.

"Hell's bells," her mother says, swiping at her eyes.

Then, suddenly, Effie is there beside them. She bends down, joins Katna and her mother in a tight embrace. The three hang on to each other. Out of the corner of her eye, Katna sees Harry standing by himself, a flush on his cheeks. He's biting his lip, which he always does when he's upset.

"You shouldn't be sad, sweetie," Effie says. "The Mockingjay is ever so happy. There's always hope, you know. One day, Mr. Mellark will come to himself again. You can bet on it." Then she takes Katna's hand and gives it a squeeze. "I'm going to tell her about you," Effie says. "I know your name is Katna. You were named after her, weren't you?"

Katna and her mother both nod.

"She'll be really happy to know about you. Can I -- can I take a little picture to send her?"

Katna glances hesitantly at her mother. Her mother nods.

"When I have the picture ready, I'd like you to sign it. Can I do that? I'll drop by and visit so you can sign the picture. Then I'll send it to the Mockingjay."

"That's wonderful," Katna's mother says. "What do you say, Katna?"

"Thank you," Katna whispers.

There's a shifting of feet, and then Effie rises. "Now!" she says, the brightness back in her voice. Katna thinks her eyes still look sad, though. "Let's go see Abernethy's house! If we're lucky, he might even be home!"

She teeters off, and the group slowly trails after her.


	2. DISTRICT FOUR

In the end, Katniss felt she had no choice. She thought the Games would be the worst thing to happen to her in her life. They weren't. She thought Peeta's hijacking would be the worst thing to happen to her in her life. It wasn't. She thought Prim's death would be the worst thing to happen to her in her life. And, though it came pretty close to breaking her, it didn't.

THIS, though. This, with Peeta. This was the worst thing, hands down.

Her mother called, kept pleading with her. Katniss would hang up on her. It went like that, for almost a month.

But maybe it was the fact of Peeta sitting in a chair, so silent, not moving, not smiling, not even alive (because he couldn't be alive, like that), maybe it was that that made her break, on the 23rd day of July: "All right," she told her mother. And that was all. She glanced at Peeta, who she'd brought with her to the bedroom. "Is that all right with you, Peeta?" She imagined a change in his expression. A flicker of understanding.

So they left, she and Peeta. They moved to Four.

"I don't want anyone else at the station," she'd told her mother. "Just you or Annie. No one else."

She couldn't stand the thought of people coming there to gape. No, no, no. Not at HER Peeta. He was still a man. He would have minded so much.

On the train, they were given the best car. She positioned him by the window. She pointed out their progress. She held his stiff hand. She rested her head on his shoulder and wept.

She'd had five years, just five years to be with him. And if she had only agreed to have a baby . . .

"Mom!" she screamed when she saw her mother on the platform in Four. But she couldn't leave Peeta in his wheelchair. She gripped the handles and kept screaming, "Mom!" Her mother ran to her. "Oh baby!" her mother whispered, embracing her. There was a man with her, a big, bulky man, a stranger. "This is Henry," her mother said. "He's an aide at the hospital. We'll need him to carry . . . "

Katniss nodded. "Hurry," she told Henry. "I don't want anyone to see . . .

"Does the wheelchair fold?" he asked Katniss. She nodded, and then he picked Peeta up in his arms. "Fold it, and follow me."

* * * *

"I'm sorry," her mother said. "It's a very simple kitchen."

"Don't apologize for anything," Katniss said. "You're here. HE'S here. That's all that matters."

Buttercup leaped into Katniss's lap. Then he jumped down and wound himself around Peeta's legs. Katniss watched, anxiously. "It's funny," she murmured. "He doesn't act as if Peeta's any different."

Her mother reached for her hand and squeezed. "Oh, baby -- " she said.

"Mom, if only I'd said yes, when he wanted to have a child -- " Katniss began to sob -- big, gulping sobs.

"Shhh, stop," her mother said. "It's no good thinking that way. You did the best you could. You were just getting over the horrible trauma of -- everything. You both were. I was in favor of you waiting. I told you that.”


	3. LIFE IN FOUR

Life went on.

Katniss was alone in the house; her mother was attending a benefit for the hospital.

Well, no -- Katniss wasn't alone. She had to remind herself of that. Peeta was here, he was with her. She had worked so hard to keep him safe . . .

"I'm not giving you up NOW," Katniss whispered, looking at him. He was next to her on the low couch in her mother's tiny parlor. She insisted on getting him dressed in the morning, and undressed at night. Her mother tried to help, but Katniss wouldn't let her.

After a few hours, it began to rain. Katniss still hadn't gotten used to the weather in Four. It seemed more humid. When the rain came down, it lasted longer than it did in Twelve. It usually cleared up by evening, though.

She wondered how far the hospital was; she'd never made it there, not in two months. She didn't want to go anywhere without Peeta, and she knew if she went with him, people would stare and ask questions. And she couldn't, she just couldn't bear the thought of explaining.

Her mother was usually gone the whole day. She and Katniss and Peeta would share a simple breakfast. Or, Katniss and her mother would. Peeta would be sitting in his wheelchair, next to Katniss. She and her mother would address questions to him. They would pause, listen for an answer, then nod, as if they'd read his mind.

Her mother had suggested once that she and Katniss attend a lecture. "Who's giving it?" Katniss had asked. It was more of a rhetorical question, because she was not leaving Peeta alone in the house. Neither was she going to bring him to a public event where people would see, would ask questions, would stare.

"Annie," her mother said.

Katniss was stunned "Annie! I didn't know she was a -- "

"She has a degree in clinical psychology, Katniss," her mother said. "She's a therapist. She often lectures on various topics. She's really quite a good speaker."

Katniss didn't answer, overwhelmed by the need to revise the image she'd held in her head of Annie.

All these years, she'd referred to her as "The Mad Girl." Peeta was the one who told her to stop it, he said she was being unkind. She would never call Annie The Mad Girl again.

That night, when her mother returned, Katniss had asked her mother what the lecture had been about. "She lectured on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," her mother said. Katniss had no further questions.

That was a week ago.

Katniss sighed. "What do you think of Four, Peeta?" she said. She tried not to whisper, even though she wasn't sure if Peeta could hear. "It's nice, isn't it?" She looked at him. Other than the fact that he never blinked, or smiled, and his beautiful lips were always drawn together, he was still essentially the same Peeta. His hair grew; she cut it. His fingernails and toenails grew; Katniss clipped them. She bathed him and combed his hair. Well, he might have grown thinner. But, Katniss thought, that was the only change.

"Maybe you were excited, and nervous," Katniss continued. "I was, too. But it's easier here, isn't it? With Mom . . . "

Her voice trailed away.

Their second night in Four, her mother had taken both of them to the beach. Katniss had looked out at the ocean, that mighty, restless ocean. "It's so beautiful," Katniss had said. Good thing her mother's house was close to the beach, she could take walks there with Peeta. If she timed it right -- later in the evening, for instance -- there'd be no one else around. Katniss had grown to love the sunsets.

She had been tempted to take Peeta out there this evening, but something inside her felt worn out. She wanted to wait for her mother. Instead, she sat by the window and watched as the shadows lengthened. The clouds were heavy; perhaps it would rain. It usually did.

"I hope it'll rain soon," Katniss said. She wasn't even aware she had spoken this aloud until she thought she heard a sound that made her turn and look intently at Peeta. Buttercup was curled up in his lap. A bead of sweat ran down the side of Peeta's face. What?

She hurried to him. "I'm sorry!" she said. "I didn't realize -- " She stopped, and frowned. "Maybe," she said. "I'll take off your shirt."

Buttercup jumped off and Katniss began to unbutton Peeta's shirt. She couldn't help the tears that flowed from her eyes then. "I'd love to take you for a swim, Peeta," she said. "But you never had time to learn."

She thought of the handful of times they had been at the Lake: how red Peeta's back got, how easily he burned. She lost herself in those memories. When her mother returned, later that night, she found Katniss asleep, her head on Peeta's lap.


	4. WHILE THERE'S LIFE

"Look who I've brought, Katniss!" her mother said brightly. "Annie! She's been asking if she can visit, and I said it would be okay."

Immediately, Katniss's face lit up with excitement. She hadn't looked that alive since -- since forever, her mother thought.

Annie and Katniss embraced. Then Annie's kind gaze fell on Peeta.

"Oh!" she said.

Peeta looked straight ahead, unblinking. Though, Katniss imagined she saw the corner of his mouth quirk up. No, she had to stop such hallucinations.

"He looks well," Annie said softly. "Almost like his old self."

Katniss nodded, grateful for Annie's kindness.

"But, you, my dear," Annie said, "are too thin. Katniss, do you have anyone to help you? It must be tough lifting him in and out of bed and bath."

"I manage," Katniss said, lifting her chin defiantly. "I'm stronger than I look."

"Oh, I know that," Annie said, lightly. "Must be why your arms are so buff."

"Huh?" Katniss said. She glanced down at herself. "They are NOT."

"Annie, would you like some tea?" Mrs. Everdeen said. "Have a seat and I'll bring it out here."

After her mother left the room, Katniss sat down next to Peeta. Annie sat on Peeta's other side. They were both silent for a few moments. Absently, Katniss reached up a hand and ran it through Peeta's blonde curls. His hair was as thick as ever. She cut it every other week. It was one of the activities she truly enjoyed.

Annie watched her carefully. "I would say that Peeta's pretty happy right now," she murmured.

Katniss stared. "What do you mean? He never would have wanted to end up like this."

"But he has you around him, all day every day. Knowing Peeta, that would be his idea of heaven," Annie said.

"Oh, knowing Peeta!" Katniss said. Her lips began to tremble.

"I think there's still hope, Katniss. I think if you let the doctors here in 4 examine him, they might be able to suggest a few things, maybe an operation . . . "

"What kind of operation?" Katniss said, suddenly fearful. "Not on his brain . . . "

Annie thought for a moment. "Umm, maybe not. I have to go through several options and discuss them with my colleagues. For sure we all want to help you, Katniss. After all you've done for us."

"I didn't do anything," Katniss said. "That was all Peeta."

"Maybe he kept you together long enough to get the job done, but I think it was a definite partnership. You and him together, you saved us."

Mrs. Everdeen entered with the tea tray. From her expression, it was clear she had overheard at least part of the conversation.

"Mom -- " Katniss began.

"Yes, dear, I heard," Mrs. Everdeen said. Carefully, she arranged the tray on the low coffee table. "That sounds very good, Annie. Wonderful, in fact."

"I can't make any promises," Annie said. "But I think there is a way we can get Peeta back."

At that moment, there was a dull thud by Peeta's chair. The three women looked up, startled. Peeta's right foot, which had been on the wheelchair, had slipped.

"Sorry!" Katniss said, hurriedly arranging his feet so that they were once again parallel on his wheelchair. "I can't imagine . . . that's never happened before. You were saying, Annie -- ?"

Annie had a thoughtful look on her face. "We'd have to bring him to the hospital. They have much better machines now, machines that can study everything: his brains, his lungs, his heart, his motor function . . . we could even have you bring him at night, so you wouldn't be exposed to prying eyes. We would keep it very private, Katniss. I know how much that means to you."

At Annie's gentle words, the light in the room suddenly seemed much brighter. And there was a new  
smell wafting through the house.

"Mom, are you baking anything?" Katniss asked.

"Why, no," her mother said. "You know I don't -- can't -- bake. Strange. That smell reminds me of the old Mellark bakery. What -- do I smell cheese buns?"

At that point, Katniss threw her arms around Peeta and wept.


	5. HOPE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things starting to look up!

"Okay, Katniss, I've managed to get some parameters on a few of the procedures the doctors want to perform on Peeta," Annie said. "I want to reassure you, though, that everyone is committed to exploring every possible avenue. We all want to see Peeta and you happy."

Katniss swallowed. She'd been on tenterhooks for a whole month. She couldn't speak.

Annie reached out and took one of Katniss's hands. "I'm sorry, I wanted to schedule something a week after I saw you, but some of my more experienced colleagues told me we couldn't go this fast. The best solutions will necessarily involve some trial and error. We held many meetings in which we discussed what procedures would be the least invasive. We know you've been through so much."

She gave Katniss the date: "Does this date work for you, Katniss?"

"It's almost a month away," Katniss said.

"I know. We thought, in the meantime, you could maybe start therapy? Discuss your fears with one of our specialists. They've had lots of experience dealing with the families of patients. It would help ease your mind."

Katniss shook her head. She hated talking, especially about Peeta. It hurt too much.

"I can't," Katniss whispered. "I can't think of myself, not while Peeta's like this. Maybe after -- after the procedure. If things don't improve . . . "

Annie sighed. "It's your choice, Katniss," Annie said. "But I want you to be prepared. Do you still get nightmares? I remember they used to be pretty bad. Please don't suffer in silence. You have to let me -- or someone -- know. We're here for you."

"I haven't had nightmares," Katniss said. That was true. She wondered if it was because she was too exhausted to do anything but fall into deep sleep, the minute she finally got Peeta settled for the day.

"Another thing," Annie said. "The doctors asked if you could try and remember how Peeta seemed, in the weeks BEFORE he had his seizure. Was there anything that seemed slightly 'off' to you? I know it's hard to think back on that time, but you might remember something -- anything -- that would guide us."

Katniss tried to think back. It wasn't as if she hadn't asked herself, over and over, whether she had missed some vital warning sign that would have alerted her to what was coming. In fact, during the many long, lonely days, she spent much time berating herself for not having paid enough attention.

"Did he have headaches?" Annie asked.

"From time to time," Katniss said. "But nothing really bad."

Annie nodded. She decided not to continue her questioning, it was clearly making Katniss upset.

Annie stayed for half an hour longer. She told Katniss about Finn, Jr.

"I haven't seen him in so long!" Katniss cried.

"He keeps asking to visit, but I don't think that would be a good idea. He's VERY rambunctious. He seems to have inherited all of Finnick's energy. I can just see him knocking into Peeta's wheelchair accidentally. We can't have that."

Katniss started to say, "Peeta's not an egg ... " but she stopped. She realized she had zero experience dealing with rambunctious little boys. What if she ended up yelling at Finn Jr.? She would never forgive herself.

* * *

The month passed quickly, much more quickly than Katniss expected. It was time to take Peeta to the hospital. True to her word, Annie had arranged for Peeta's admission to occur at night. Annie went with the car that was sent to pick up Katniss, Peeta and her mother, and all the way to the hospital she kept up a calm, cheerful patter. Katniss answered in monosyllables. Finally, Annie said, "You need to relax. I have some wine in my office."

Katniss raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? YOU keep wine in your office?"

"It's just a light wine, Katniss. It's not going to knock you over."

Katniss grinned. It was surprising, the ways Annie had changed. She was no longer the fearful, vulnerable young woman who relied on Finnick to be her rock. Now, SHE was becoming Katniss's rock.

Before long, the car was pulling up at the hospital's emergency entrance.

"We're here, Peeta," Katniss said, squeezing her husband's hand. "Don't worry, I'm going to be with you the whole time."

Waiting at the entrance were a nurse and two doctors. They smiled at her. Katniss's heart began to race. She was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long, long time: hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have written some terrible Annies. But here, she's an angel.
> 
> I wrote the first four chapters fast, then left this for a long time. A year? Until I could write a proper ending. Just so you know.


	6. SKIN, SINEWS, MUSCLE, ORGANS -- BUT ESPECIALLY THE HEART

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As I re-post, I also re-read.
> 
> This is getting to be one of my favorites. One whose every chapter I savor re-reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Peeta's body -- even a Comatose Peeta's body -- is a temple.
> 
> Annie continues to be Katniss's rock. She's an angel in this one!

They put Peeta through test after test. Every piece of him was studied: brain, skin, muscle, sinew, organs. Katniss grew fond of his doctor, Dr. Adam Brock, a man in his mid-fifties who seemingly remembered every moment of their Games. He had re-played those old vids when he knew he'd be taking charge of Peeta's tests.

He was assisted by two junior physicians, both in their 30s: Dr. Stephen Goff and Dr. Serena Gordon. They couldn't keep a kind of star-struck look out of their eyes when their gazes first landed on Katniss and Peeta. It only lasted the first couple of minutes, though. After, they were all business.

Katniss and Peeta were given a suite on the top floor of the hospital. Katniss protested that she didn't want anything so fancy but Annie explained that it was more for privacy than for anything else. Mrs. Everdeen came and went, insisting she had to spend nights at home to take care of Buttercup.

Test after test. It was nerve-wracking. The nurses tried to get Katniss to eat more. "Don't skip breakfast," they kept reminding her, when they saw how thin and distracted she was.

While Peeta was undergoing tests, the nurses told Katniss: Think about something else. Sports. Shopping. Sex.

Sex? Katniss raised an eyebrow.

Yes, the nurses said. Your husband's pretty hot.

Excuse me, Katniss said.

Oh, don't worry, the nurses laughed. Just having a bit of fun, you know.

She knew.

For his first complete medical exam, Peeta was laid out completely naked. She saw a group of doctors surrounding him, making notes on their charts. Her breath caught. She had forgotten how beautiful he was. Everything was still there: the broad shoulders, the slim hips, the fine down that trailed from just beneath his navel to his groin. He had had quite a following, after the Games. It might have been mostly female.

Of course, they had to shave off his hair. It pained her deeply. It reminded her of the times he and she were waxed and buffed and turned out like prize animals.

Somehow, it was the sight of Peeta's feet that affected Katniss most deeply. They were fine feet, narrow and groomed. Katniss had cut his toenails and buffed the nails diligently, every few days. She remembered how Peeta loved the sensation of her touching his feet. Sometimes, when she was alone with him, she kissed them. He'd been ticklish. She prayed for a response, a twitch, anything. But his feet remained still. She'd wrap her hands around them: yes, still warm. He would be all right.

One day, after a whole morning of tests, Peeta was returned to her and with a jolt Katniss discovered an incision, a very small one, just beneath his left ribcage. She gasped at the thought that they had actually cut into HER PEETA. Frantically, she had examined his whole body, to see if there were other incisions. But there were none. Only this very small one. An hour later, Annie came into the room and found Katniss sitting straight-backed in a chair next to Peeta's bed, seething with anger.

"They should have told me!" she gritted out. "They should have told me they were going to cut him  
today!"

"Let me see!" Annie said.

Katniss showed her. "Oh," Annie said. "They sometimes need to insert a laser. The cut's very small. Does it bother you so much?"

Katniss clenched her fists. "No, of course not. Only -- he was so -- perfect. Before."

Annie didn't say anything, only patted her shoulder.

Katniss closed her eyes. She knew she was being ridiculous.

"His heart's nice and strong," Annie said. "I just saw the charts."

Katniss nodded. There was never anything wrong with PEETA'S heart. It was hers that needed fixing. Maybe she hadn't loved him enough, the way he was meant to be loved. She couldn't help hot tears trickling down her cheeks and onto Peeta's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter yet (I know that's very disingenuous, since I am in fact the author, lol). But -- Peeta's feet! I melt at any description of Peeta's feet. I know, I know, every part of Peeta is precious, but there's something about comatose Peeta's feet that makes me want to cry.


	7. DR. BROCK

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something momentous happens in this chapter!
> 
> Katniss decides to fix her hair . . .
> 
> My version of Growing Together

One morning, Katniss awoke to see bright daylight streaming in through the windows -- she rarely slept more than a few hours a night, but she must have been so tired.

Another surprise: Dr. Brock was standing by Peeta's bed, staring down at him. How long had he been there? Why hadn't he woken her up?

She struggled to her feet -- she had fallen asleep on a chair, which did no favors to her back -- and approached the doctor.

"What is it?" she asked, feeling anxious.

The Doctor said, not taking his eyes off Peeta: "He's doing much better than we suppose."

"Really?" Katniss said, shocked.

"Yes. I think he looked at me just now."

What? Katniss looked at Peeta's face. It was very still.

"I'm almost positive I saw his eyes move," Dr. Brock said.

A wave of joy washed over Katniss. She reached for Peeta's hand. She was hit by an unreasonable pang of jealousy: she had missed that earth-shattering moment when Peeta's eyes had moved.

"What does it mean, Doctor?" Katniss said. "Does this mean he will wake up soon?"

Dr. Brock sighed. "Hard to say. But it was a positive indication. Yes, I'm more and more sure I saw his eyes move."

The Doctor turned his attention to her. "I'll have a nurse stay with him round the clock. And YOU, Mrs. Mellark, should get some rest."

"I AM rested," Katniss declared. But she really needed to go to the bathroom and freshen up.

A nurse came in just then. "I want you to stay right here until your shift is over," Dr. Brock told the nurse. "If you have to leave for any reason, make sure another nurse is here first. If you see any kind of movement, have me paged."

Katniss could hardly contain her joy. She told the Doctor, "I'll just be a minute." Then she rushed to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and didn't recognize herself. The lines across her forehead and on either side of her mouth. She felt old. She looked old.

Quickly, she splashed some water on her face, then brushed her teeth. She braided her hair, for the first time in at least a month. She didn't want Peeta waking up to see her so disheveled.

When she emerged from the bathroom, the doctor threw her a quick glance. Amazement appeared on his face. "Mrs. Mellark," he said. "You look different."

"What?" Katniss said, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I just wanted to be ready. In case he woke up."

"I like the braid," the Doctor said. Then, before Katniss could say anything, he took his leave. "I'll check back in an hour," he said. "We'll have to do more tests."

Katniss bent over Peeta and kissed him gently on the lips. Please wake up, she thought. His lips were soft, welcoming. But they never moved.

The nurse watched her sympathetically. "Mrs. Mellark," the nurse said. "You should get some breakfast. He'll be okay for a few minutes. I'll be right here."

Katniss ignored her. She pulled a chair to Peeta's bedside.

The nurse was checking Peeta's charts. She made a few notes.

"He's going to wake up, I can feel it," Katniss said.

The nurse didn't say anything.

"Peeta," Katniss said, gently stroking his cheek. "If you're in there, please give me a sign? I've been waiting for you. Two years."

Katniss didn't care if the nurse heard her. Frankly, almost nothing embarrassed her now. She looked at Peeta's face. She had the strangest feeling: his eyes were open, still unblinking. But she couldn't shake the feeling that he was actually LOOKING at her. That he recognized her.


	8. THE CONVERSATION

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am with a short chapter. The reason it's a short chapter is -- I am trying to hide how little I know about medicine.
> 
> Well, hope there are some who enjoy this little story of Everlark hitting absolute bottom, but still fighting for each other.

"I'd like to show you something, Katniss," Dr. Brock said. "Come down to my office. We did another scan of Peeta's heart."

Katniss swallowed. She hated to be separated from Peeta. There was a nurse with him at all times, but Katniss didn't want to miss anything, the way she'd missed his eyes moving, early that morning.

All morning, she'd stayed by his side, looking at his face, waiting.

The doctor said, "You should see this, Katniss. It won't take more than 10 minutes, I promise."

Reluctantly, she nodded and followed the doctor to his office, a floor below.

Dr. Brock pressed a button on his desk. A screen on the opposite wall lit up. A scan of the inside of Peeta's chest appeared on the screen. The doctor watched Katniss carefully.

"It -- is there something wrong with Peeta's heart?" she asked, voice catching.

"Well, there IS something. I can't believe we missed it on the first scan. Do you remember when Peeta hit the force field, in your Games?"

Katniss closed her eyes. Of course she remembered. She had thought Peeta was dead. Finnick had brought him back.

"It may have caused something, some slight damage. I'm not quite sure. Since Peeta recovered and never showed any adversarial effects, we thought his youth and health had overcome whatever damage the force field inflicted. We should never have left it, though. We should have continued monitoring. My only defense is that things were so chaotic in the years of the Rebellion, there were so many people presenting as clearly sick and/or dying, that we didn't think a young, healthy Victor was first on the chain of priorities."

Katniss wished the Doctor would just get on with it. She didn't need him to bring her back to those days.

The Doctor pointed to the scan of Peeta's heart. "There, do you see a small mass? It's benign, don't worry. We think it might be residual scarring. When Peeta hit that force field, his heart stopped for a little while. But he fought back. He fought to live. Now, did Peeta ever suffer from epileptic fits, after?"

Katniss was silent. YES, she thought. And he probably had them when he was imprisoned in the Capitol.

"I know," the Doctor said. "The Capitol."

Katniss gasped. The doctor had read her mind.

"We discovered a small mass -- well, a scar. It's between the right and the left atrium. It's very small. There might have been a hole there once. Can't know for sure. We didn't have this level of technology back then, we couldn't get this level of detail in our scans. We think that Peeta's body learned to over-compensate. But over-compensation does not relieve the body of stress. Eventually, something happened, and he had a massive seizure. I feel confident we can fix this. It will involve surgery . . . "

"Stop!" Katniss raised a hand. Tears were flowing down both cheeks. "Have you tried this before? What is the success rate?"

"We've operated on hearts before," Doctor Brock said.

Somehow, that answer didn't seem good enough.

"Doctor, I don't want any surprises. Can you tell me the success rate of the procedure you're going to try?"

"We have to try, Katniss. What have you got to lose?"

Katniss thought back to Peeta in the Games, and after. She knew what he would say.

"Let's do it," she said. "It's what Peeta would want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katniss and Peeta are lucky: Dr. Brock really knows his stuff (Even though I know nothing about medicine, I made sure Dr. Brock knows everything!)
> 
> We're getting close to the end. Things will pick up soon for Everlark!
> 
> I have another new fic in mind that I may post soon. It's set in a strip club. I just haven't decided yet whether the stripper is Peeta or Katniss.


	9. NOT IF, WHEN

It was the night before Peeta's operation. The air wafting through the half-open window next to his bed was clear and cold. The nurses had tried to close it but Katniss had stopped them. "He likes to sleep with the window open," she said. They left the window alone after that.

Katniss sat by Peeta's bed, holding his hand. She wondered if he was uneasy, as she was. But he would have wanted this. She knew she had made the right decision.

A nurse stopped by the bed and looked sympathetically down at Katniss. "You should rest, Ma'am," the nurse said. It startled Katniss to be addressed like an old woman, but then she looked at the nurse and saw that she was very young, perhaps only 20 or so. Katniss gave her a weary smile. "I can't sleep," she said.

"Dr. Brock is the best you could ask for," the nurse said. "He'll put your husband right again. I know it."

Katniss nodded.

"So, what's the first thing you and your husband will do when you get out of the hospital?" the nurse asked.

Katniss was startled. She had not thought of that. Never even once allowed herself to consider it.

"You should plan," the nurse said. Katniss thought for a minute. "You're right," she said. "And I know what I want to do, if he wakes up."

"Not 'if,' Ma'am," the nurse said. "When."

"Yes, WHEN," Katniss said.

The nurse was turning away when Katniss said, "We'll have a baby. That's what we'll do."

The nurse turned back. "Oh, ma'am -- " her voice was full of tenderness.

"Peeta loves children. He'd want us to have a bunch. And I aim to please him."

The nurse smiled. "That sounds very nice. You'd make wonderful parents. I can just see it."

Katniss turned her face back to Peeta. Yes, Peeta would make a wonderful father. He cared so much for others. He was so kind. And hadn't he told her, over and over, that she would make a wonderful mother? She hadn't believed him, but maybe she could learn.

Thinking these thoughts calmed her somewhat. The next thing she knew, a nurse was gently shaking her shoulder, telling her they had to wheel Peeta to the operating room.

She followed as they wheeled him to the elevator. Then down another hallway. Just before the operating room doors, they stopped. "You can't come inside," someone told her. She nodded and stepped back, watching with aching eyes as the doors opened, wide enough to see a brightly lit room, masked and gloved doctors waiting, a bank of machines. She thought she recognized Doctor Brock. Then the doors swung shut and she was alone in the cold waiting room. She curled up on a hideous green couch and closed her eyes. The words of the nurse from the night before came back to her: "Not 'if,' WHEN." She permitted herself a small smile.

She heard her name being called and opened her eyes. Her mother was standing over her, looking at her with a bemused expression. "You looked so peaceful, I'm sorry to disturb you."

"I'm glad you're here, Mom," Katniss said, reaching up.

Her mother enfolded her in a tight embrace. "He's going to be all right," her mother murmured. "He's fought through worse to get to you."

"I know, Mom," Katniss said. "I know."


	10. REST

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting close to the end now! Only one more chapter after this (a long one), then the Epilogue.
> 
> Thank you for being brave enough to keep up with this, especially after the very sad first chapters. I still don't know if it's medically possible, to bring someone back after years in deep coma, but this is PEETA! He never gives up!

The nurses came in occasionally to update them on the progress of the operation.

Five hours later, the doctor strode into the waiting room, still in his surgical scrubs. He'd pulled his surgical map down. His shoes were spattered with blood. Peeta's blood, Katnis winced. She was on her feet immediately.

"It went as expected," Doctor Brock told her.

"What does that mean?" Katniss asked, nerves tingling.

"It means he's fine," the doctor said. "They'll wheel him to Recovery in a few minutes."

Katniss's shoulders sagged.

"But," the doctor said. "You don't look great. I'm going to order some bed rest for you." The doctor glanced over Katniss's shoulder. "Put her to bed," he told Mrs. Everdeen, who was standing right behind her daughter, "and make sure she stays there for a couple of hours."

Katniss's mouth fell open.

"Otherwise," Doctor Brock said, turning back to Katniss, "I'm going to order your mother to administer a tranquilizer."

Katniss felt tears prick her eyes. It was so unfair! If he was going to order her to stand down, he should have done it before the operation, not now when she had her Peeta back.

"Tell me what you found," Katniss insisted.

"Well, we did find more scarring than we expected. There was a small hole. We closed it, of course. What can I say? He's been through a lot. Now, this may be hard for you to hear, but it seems they must have done some things . . . to his heart . . . when he was a prisoner in the Capitol. He had a stroke. Several, actually, likely due to the torture. And the fuckers never gave him proper medical treatment."

Katniss gasped. Her mother moved to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Like what things?" she asked.

"They used electric shocks, it's clear. I've seen that kind of scarring before, many times. It's just -- " the doctor paused. "I just don't see how he could have lasted so long, with that amount of damage. It's almost a miracle."

Katniss buried her face in her hands and sobbed. The doctor put his hands on her shoulders. "Your husband's as tough as they come, that much is clear. He's a real fighter. A real hero. Every person in that operating room will agree with me."

"Thank you, Doctor Brock," Mrs. Everdeen said.

"It was my honor to help," Doctor Brock said. "I have to go back to the OR. Make sure your daughter gets some rest, okay?"

"I will," Mrs. Everdeen said.

"If Peeta wakes up -- no, WHEN he wakes up -- it'll probably happen in the next day or so. _Make sure she gets some rest_."

The doctor gave a sympathetic squeeze to Katniss's shoulder then strode back to the operating room.

* * * *

Katniss couldn't stop staring at Peeta's face. He was back now, he was back with her, in the bedroom of their suite at the hospital. Her mother had given up and gone to bed, leaving Katniss alone. A night nurse was waiting just outside the door, Katniss had said she wouldn't be needed but she insisted on staying close.

Test after test after test. Katniss couldn't wait to get Peeta back to Twelve. It was good to have her mother near, but Four wasn't their home.

Carefully, she rested a hand over Peeta's heart, taking comfort in feeling its steady beating. There was a long trail of sutures down the center of his chest, but his skin was warm, so warm. He was exactly the same. He was her Peeta, always.

She couldn't help tears coming to her eyes, every time she recalled the doctor's words. Yes, the Capitol had tried to destroy him. They had tried to tear him apart. And yet, nothing could conquer the fierce determination of Peeta Mellark.

She lowered her head and closed her eyes.

* * * *

Something was different. For one thing, night was fading. Katniss could hear the faint chirping of birds. A low sun was slanting its rays over the bed. She looked at Peeta. He seemed peaceful. His eyes were closed.

His eyes were -- CLOSED?

Peeta had closed his eyes!

Perhaps she was hallucinating?

Katniss placed a trembling hand over Peeta's chest. His heart was beating steadily. It was a shock, then, when she felt a hand come up and cover her own. She looked down at Peeta. His eyes were still closed, but there was a tremor behind his lids, as if he were dreaming. His lips twitched. And yes, there was his hand, covering her own.


	11. BEATING THE ODDS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Readers, 
> 
> Here it is. TA-DA!
> 
> This chapter ended up being twice as long as the original.
> 
> Enjoy.

Dr. Brock answered the nurse's page.

"What's wrong?" he said, expecting the worst.

"Doctor, the patient is fine," the nurse told him. She ran down the list of small movements Peeta had made: his eyes, his hands.

The doctor asked after Katniss.

"We can't peel her off him," the nurse said, a chuckle in her voice.

"I'll be there soon. In the meantime, give Mrs. Mellark a sedative. Now!" the doctor ordered. He didn't want the patient getting overstimulated; Peeta still had a long way to go.

The nurse smiled. "Yes, doctor, right away."

* * * *

It took time, of course it did. But Peeta Mellark had beat the odds before, and he did it again.

Peeta's case -- Dr. Brock told them he had never had a case of someone suffering that many electrical shocks to the heart who went on to live a completely asymptomatic life, as Peeta had done with Katniss through the early years of their marriage. "You, sir," Dr. Brock told Peeta, months later, "are one for the record books."

Katniss's first call was to Annie, who insisted on coming over, even though it was very early in the morning. The two women hugged and cried together, Katniss thinking how close she had come to losing everything, Annie remembering Finnick, and rejoicing that Katniss did not have to endure what Annie had endured.

Peeta's eyes opened again eventually, sometime mid-morning, and in them was the light of recognition. And love. Dr. Brock and the nurses gathered around his bed and took his vitals. He looked at each of them with amazement, and Katniss realized that he was meeting all of them for the first time.

He wasn't speaking yet. In fact, it took him almost a full week to say what was on his mind. But when he DID speak, he told Katniss he'd heard almost everything. “I heard you when you … when you cried,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”

And that’s when she kissed him. Because she didn’t want to hear him say he was sorry, ever again.

He was happy to know that Katniss wanted to have children. He said that it was possibly the only thing that could make him happier than he was in that moment.

Things were not so easy for Katniss, however. Now that Peeta was back, she began to experience a more intense anxiety. “No, I can’t leave him,” she told the nurses and the doctor and her mother and Annie. So, that first week, she never left his bedside: not to eat, and certainly not to shower. Finally Doctor Brock had to tell her that if she didn’t shower, Peeta, who was still being fed by tube, might get an infection from her. And then she took the quickest shower ever, record-time, maybe three minutes tops.

The second serious problem was that as Peeta gradually recovered consciousness, his hospital room became crowded. All the nurses wanted to see him and share Katniss’s joy. The scowl on Katniss’s face grew deeper, and sometimes she seemed on the verge of chasing out these unwanted visitors. She finally appealed to Doctor Brock, and Doctor Brock had to station two burly hospital orderlies outside Peeta’s room, to prevent anyone except immediate family (and Annie, of course) to visit.

In the meantime, whenever Peeta was asleep (and he slept A LOT those early days, for he was very tired after the surgery), Katniss made lists. Lists of things she wanted to do with Peeta. Never mind what the first two were on that list, but # 3 was: Move back to 12. # 4 was: Take Peeta to the woods. #5 was: Re-open the bakery.

A month after the surgery, Peeta could sit up in bed and feed himself. Shortly after that, Dr. Brock put him on a physical therapy regimen. Slowly, he gained back the strength in his legs and arms. Katniss found that she was in a better mood if she exercised along with him (not to mention, the physical therapist was a very young woman who seemed to have a crush on Peeta, always staring at him with wide eyes, and Katniss wanted to make sure she didn’t get too – cough - handsy)

After three months, Peeta was released from the hospital. That was a joyous day. Dr. Brock and the entire hospital staff threw Peeta a victory party (“The one both of you deserved,” Dr. Brock said, when Katniss demurred) There were balloons, there was cake, there were streamers and confetti.

They stayed a week with Katniss’s mother, and even though she said she hoped they would stay with her in Four, Peeta and Katniss were firm about returning to Twelve. On the return journey, they were accompanied by Annie, Katniss’s mother, and a nurse who’d been instructed to stay with them a few weeks, just to make sure Peeta’s recovery was proceeding as it should. Katniss had chafed at the need for a nurse, but Dr. Brock was insistent. Secretly, he wanted the nurse there not just for Peeta but for Katniss as well. She’d suffered from severe insomnia, which had become acute in the hospital, and he knew her tendency to run herself ragged.

They were greeted at the train station by schoolchildren holding bunches of daffodils and the school band playing a version of the District’s Welcome Home song. Katniss and Peeta clung to each other and wept, they were so moved by this show of support. Afterwards, a little girl came shyly up to Katniss and held out a bouquet of yellow flowers.

“What’s your name, Sweetie?” Katniss asked.

“Katna,” the little girl said. Self-consciously, she tugged at her skirt.

Katniss smiled and took the little girl’s hand in her own. “That’s a pretty name,” she said.

Peeta watched the whole exchange with adoration. He had never seen Katniss with children – not since Prim. But he had always known she would make a fine mother, once she got past her own fears.

No sooner were they home than they immediately set to work on the first two items on Katniss’s list. It was a good thing Victors Village did not have many occupants, or it could have been quite embarrassing. Even the nurse learned pretty quickly to don earplugs. Neither wanted to sleep, so intent were they on showering each other with love, to the point where Effie and Haymitch (who had moved in together while Katniss and Peeta were in Four -- who knew how long their affair had been brewing) would make constant teasing references to the grunts and moans that seemed to go on all night.

In the morning, Peeta baked. At first, Katniss worried that he might have another seizure, and what if it happened while he was near the oven? What if he fell and burned himself accidentally? But Peeta was insistent. And Katniss, who had spent two whole years tending to him when he hadn't moved or spoken, was too grateful for his recovery to argue.

Their first child was born nine months almost to the day after they returned to 12. They named her Willow. Willow was much like her mother in her ways, always stealing off to the woods when she had the chance. She mastered the bow and arrow even before she started school. But of course, with a mother like Katniss.

Three years later, they had another child, a son. They named him Adam, after the doctor who had saved Peeta's life. Dr. Brock was pleased, and promised he would visit Twelve one day.

Katniss had a habit of placing her ear to Peeta's chest, to listen to the steady thump thump thump of his heart. She did this on a daily basis. Peeta teased her, but Katniss didn't care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up: EPILOGUE
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


	12. EPILOGUE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have arrived at the end of this story.
> 
> Thanks for braving the angst-y ride with Everlark!

TEN YEARS LATER --

A large car pulled up to the hospital in Four. A beaming Katniss emerged, followed by two little children: The older child, a girl, had her mother's dark hair and her father's blue eyes. The boy was the spitting image of his father, except for the grey eyes.

Last to emerge from the car was Peeta, a large, pink box in his arms. The top was stamped with gold letters saying Mellark's.

The family was ushered into the lobby and asked for Dr. Brock. Luckily, the Doctor was not in the operating theatre. He came to greet the family, a large grin on his face.

"Ah! Peeta! Katniss! And -- " the doctor looked at the children. "Willow! Adam!"

It was the first time Dr. Brock had seen them since Peeta's surgery. He had promised he would visit Twelve someday, but the time had never come. There were so many people needing care. The hospital in Four was now considered the leader in heart surgery. All because of the successful operation on Peeta.

The Doctor patted the children on the head and straightened. "To what do I owe the pleasure -- " he began.

"We brought you a cake," Peeta said, thrusting the box into the Doctor's arms.

"It was ten years ago today that you operated on Peeta," Katniss said, her arm slipping through her husband's. Her voice shook.

There was a storm of rushing feet, then Annie was there. She flung herself at Katniss. The two women hugged tightly. Right behind her was Katniss's mother. Then the nurses who had assisted Dr. Brock during the operation on Peeta. As the news of the visit spread, more and more people started arriving. Eventually, the reception area became crowded. A few photographers, sent by the local paper, arrived and began snapping away.

Peeta turned to Dr. Brock. "Who would've thought that my shriveled heart could have been saved, huh, Doc?"

"I never doubted you'd pull through, Peeta," Dr. Brock said. "Anyone who endured what you had to endure, and keep going -- well, I knew you were one hell of a fighter."

"Humble as always, Doc," Peeta grinned. "Aren't you going to open the box?"

The doctor walked up to the receptionist's station and rested the box on the counter. Carefully, he opened the lid, then stepped back. "Peeta, that's -- "

"So beautiful!" the receptionist said. She reached into the box and hoisted out the cake. Everyone marvelled.

"It's two-layer strawberry shortcake," Peeta said proudly. "Made it myself."

A nurse ran to the cafeteria to get plates and forks. Doctor Brock said, "Really, you shouldn't have." He felt tears prick the corners of his eyes.

An hour later, Dr. Brock's pager went off. "You'll have to excuse me," he told the Mellarks. "I'm needed."

Katniss hugged the doctor one last time. She whispered, "Thank you for giving us a happily ever after."

A nurse peeled away from the others and began walking with the doctor. " Are you sure you want to do this one?" she asked. "Perhaps you should let Dr. Clarke take over, this once."

The doctor shook his head. "It's a baby with a hole in its heart." He could already hear sobbing from the end of the corridor, likely the baby's mother. For a moment, the doctor was upset. Only for a moment, however. Because the area he had just left was still humming with joyful voices.


End file.
